Chapter 149

Discover Island, Grand Line

Within a lively inn where the patrons were merrymaking with abandon. Laughter and music filled the air, mingling with the aroma of roasted meats and ale. In a secluded corner, a group of six pirates sat quietly, their eyes darting around the room. They were patiently waiting for the appointed time for their meeting.

These pirates, seasoned and rugged, huddled close together, their attention focused on a bundle placed carefully on the table between them. The bundle contained an old, tattered book, its cover worn and pages yellowed with age. It was a relic from their recent expedition, something they had initially considered discarding. However, one perceptive crewmate suggested listing it in the underworld market, believing there might be antique collectors interested in such an item.

To their astonishment, only two days after posting the trade, a party had reached out, offering a staggering 50 million belly for the almost rotten book. Now, the pirates were on edge, waiting for the buyer to arrive. The stakes were high, and the atmosphere was tense.

The leader of the group, a burly man with a thick beard and a scar running down his left cheek, leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving the bundle. "I still can't believe someone's willing to pay 50 million belly for this old thing," he muttered, his voice a low rumble.

A lanky pirate with a crooked smile and a missing tooth chuckled nervously. "Aye, Cap'n. Guess some folks have strange tastes. Just hope this deal goes smooth."

The youngest of the group, a wide-eyed boy barely out of his teens, fidgeted with excitement. "Do you think it's some kind of treasure map or something?"

An older pirate with a weathered face and a patch over one eye shook his head. "Who knows? All I care about is the money. With that kind of cash, we can refit the ship and live easy for a while."

As the minutes ticked by, the tension grew thicker. The inn's patrons continued their revelry, oblivious to the high-stakes deal about to go down in their midst. Suddenly, the inn's door creaked open, and a group of cloaked figures entered, their presence instantly drawing the pirates' attention.

The cloaked figures moved with purpose, their leader stepping forward, hood casting a shadow over their face. They approached the pirates' table, the atmosphere around them shifting as the merry patrons seemed to sense the gravity of the moment.

The leader of the cloaked figures spoke in a calm, soft measured tone. "You have the book?"

The pirate leader nodded, his grip tightening on the bundle. "Aye, we have it. You have the money?"

Without a word, the cloaked figure signaled to one of their companions, who stepped forward and placed a heavy satchel on the table. The sound of clinking coins could be heard from within. The leader of the pirates reached out and opened the satchel, his eyes widening at the sight of the glittering belly inside.

"Fifty million, as agreed," the cloaked leader confirmed. "Now, the book."

The pirate leader handed over the bundle, his eyes never leaving the satchel. The cloaked figure carefully unwrapped the book, examining it with meticulous attention. After a few moments, they nodded in satisfaction and signaled their companions to withdraw.

As the cloaked figures left the table, the pirates erupted in relieved laughter, their tension dissolving into triumph. The inn's patrons, sensing the shift in the air, resumed their festivities with even greater fervor.

The pirate leader clapped the young boy on the back. "Looks like we struck gold, lads! Drinks are on us tonight!"

The inn's atmosphere shifted from joyous revelry to absolute chaos in an instant. The door splintered with a deafening crash, and dozens of Marines poured into the room, weapons drawn. Outside, the building was surrounded by hundreds of Marines, their gun muzzles aimed menacingly at the inn.

A Marine Rear Admiral, flanked by a CP agent, casually walked through the shattered doorway. His expression was a mix of confidence and cruelty. "Nico Olivia! You have nowhere to run. I know you're in here," he called out, his gaze narrowing on the group of cloaked figures.

"Surrender now. This doesn't have to be harder than it should be. Don't make me repeat myself."

Before he could finish his threat, a gunshot echoed through the room. Olivia, her face determined, had fired her pistol at the Rear Admiral. With a swift motion, he drew his cutlass and deflected the bullet, sending it careening into the ceiling. The patrons of the inn were stunned, eyes wide in disbelief. Such a feat marked the Rear Admiral as no ordinary Marine.

The Rear Admiral's smile faded into a sneer. "It seems like words don't get through to her. Kill the rest, capture her. We need to extract quite some information." His command was cold and merciless, and the Marines sprang into action.

Chaos erupted as the Marines began their assault. The inn, once a place of joy and camaraderie, turned into a scene of slaughter. Patrons, most of them regular folk, screamed and scrambled for cover. The Marines, however, saw everyone as a potential threat. To them, all were guilty by association, and they struck without hesitation.

"You bastards!" the bartender roared, his voice filled with rage and desperation. He reached for a rifle behind the counter, but a Marine was quicker. With a brutal slash, the Marine's sword severed the bartender's arm, sending a spray of blood across the bar.

The pirates, momentarily frozen by the sudden attack, sprang into action. The leader, his eyes blazing with fury, drew his sword. "Protect the money at all costs!" he shouted, rallying his crew.

Olivia, seeing the bloodshed, shouted, "We need to get out of here! Follow me!" She led the cloaked figures toward the back of the inn, their movements swift and coordinated.

As the Marines continued their rampage, the pirates fought back fiercely. Blades clashed, and gunshots rang out in the confined space. The young boy, wide-eyed with fear and determination, managed to grab a fallen Marine's weapon and fired blindly into the melee.

The Rear Admiral cut down anyone who stood in his way, his eyes fixed on Olivia. "You won't escape this time, Nico Olivia," he muttered, his voice dripping with malice.

Amidst the chaos, the CP agent moved with lethal efficiency, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of the target. He was a shadow, slipping through the fray with the grace of a predator.

The inn, once filled with laughter and music, was now a battlefield. Blood stained the wooden floors, and the air was thick with smoke and the smell of gunpowder. The townsfolk, caught in the crossfire, screamed in terror, desperately trying to find safety.

Olivia and her group finally reached the back door, but as they burst through it, they were met with another squad of Marines. Trapped, Olivia gritted her teeth. "We fight our way out!" she declared, raising her pistol.

As Olivia flung open the back door, her escape was abruptly cut short. A rifle butt slammed into her face, the force of the blow knocking her off her feet. Pain exploded in her skull, and her vision blurred. She staggered, her surroundings spinning wildly, before crumpling to the floor.

Her consciousness slipped away, but not before she heard the relentless cacophony of gunshots. Each deafening crack of a rifle echoed through the confined space, followed by the sickening thud of bodies hitting the wooden floor. Her companions, once so full of life and hope, fell one by one around her.

Olivia lay there, the metallic scent of blood filling her nostrils. The warm, sticky liquid pooled around her face, mingling with her hair and seeping into her clothes. She struggled to stay awake, to move, but her strength was fading fast.

In her last moments of consciousness, Olivia's thoughts drifted to her friends—brave souls who had followed her into this nightmare. Their lifeless forms now lay beside her, sacrificed in a futile attempt to escape the iron grip of the Marines.

Darkness closed in, and Olivia succumbed, her world reduced to the sensation of blood and the sound of distant, fading gunfire.

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Dressrosa, New World

A few months flew by after the massive celebration in Dressrosa, and the year 1501 soon approached its close. During this time, Wolf, after months of relentless work and countless failures, finally came up with the first successful prototype of the weapon I wanted installed as a strategic defense system around Dressrosa—the railgun.

Though I knew the working principle of the railgun from my previous life, Wolf was truly a genius. He managed to develop a working prototype in just a few months, albeit a bit bulkier than anticipated. This was expected, as the technology of this world was still not as advanced as the one in my past life.

The first prototype was currently installed at the eastern port, the direction from which Marines and other pirates typically approached Dressrosa. The weapon could swivel around an axis, covering all four cardinal directions, and its range could be adjusted. This strategic placement ensured that Dressrosa was well-defended from potential threats.

Despite my initial plans to set sail earlier, I decided to delay my departure until we could successfully deploy the electromagnetic railgun across Dressrosa. For now, the only problem we faced was its energy source. I had charged tens of thousands of energy cells using my lightning powers, with each shot from the railgun consuming a single cell.

However, we were in the process of converting the area where I tempered my body with lightning into a place where energy cells could be produced without my intervention. The entire zone had transformed into a perpetual lightning area due to the changes I had caused, with lightning constantly raining down inside this forbidden zone in Green Bit. The Tontatta tribe was instrumental in helping to create these energy cells.

"Say, Doffy, do you still want to make that bet?" I teased, knowing full well that Doffy was still skeptical about my claims regarding the railgun's ability to obliterate a large-sized battleship 100 miles away.

The entire family was present to witness this monumental event. Even King Riku and his family had come to see the birth of a true monster of a weapon. Doffy pondered for a few seconds and then, with a smirk, added, "How about we raise the stakes, little brother? Let's increase the range to double and we'll double the bet amount as well."

Smoker, standing nearby, couldn't help but roll his eyes at the two shameless masters of the Donquixote family. "Seriously, the original bet was just a measly 100 Belly. You guys are speaking as if you were betting a billion Belly. If it was me, I would bet—" Before he could continue, he was smacked on the head by Scarlett, who told him to keep quiet.

She was already making a note that Master had taken 200 Belly for a bet. Doffy couldn't help but give the little girl a dumbfounded look. He had appointed her in charge of the finances, and now she was even taking count of 200 Belly. He sighed and turned to me, saying, "So, double or nothing?"

"Okay, deal! Why don't you take the first shot?" I then turned to Shyarly, who sat there comfortably with a crystal ball in hand. "Shyarly, find us a random pirate or marine ship about 200 miles away and direct Doffy."

Shyarly was our linchpin in making the railgun system work. The technology had yet to come up with a decent targeting and tracking system, but Shyarly, with her powers, could take on that role. Each railgun we planned to install would come with special transponder snails which connected directly to Shyarly, who would act as the guidance system for these railguns. With her devil fruit powers, 200 miles was a cakewalk.

Shyarly nodded and quickly started scrying. Within a few moments, her eyes glowing, she spoke, "We have a marine scout ship disguised as a merchant ship about 210 miles away."

I gestured for Doffy to take the shot. Doffy sat behind the controls, and with Shyarly's directions, he adjusted the aim and the range. The gun was fully charged. With the go-ahead from Shyarly, Doffy fired.

The railgun hummed with power, its coils glowing a fierce blue as energy surged through them. A sharp, deafening crack echoed across the area as the projectile was launched. The sheer force of the shot created a shockwave that rippled through the air, causing the ground beneath us to tremble. The projectile itself was a blur, a streak of blue light that shot across the horizon with unimaginable speed.

Everyone held their breath, eyes glued to the direction of the railgun's aim. Shyarly's eyes glowed brighter as she tracked the projectile's path through her crystal ball. Moments later, a distant explosion lit up the sky, a faint but unmistakable sign of the railgun's devastating impact.

Doffy leaned back, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Fufufu, it seems the bet is in your favor this time, little brother."

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, amazed by the sheer power and precision of the railgun. King Riku and his family looked on in awe, while Smoker simply shook his head in disbelief.

"Impressive," Issho commented, his voice calm yet filled with admiration. "This weapon will truly make Dressrosa an impenetrable fortress."

"Prepare for the next phase," I instructed Wolf. "We need to ensure we have enough energy cells and that the system is fully operational across all key points. I want at least a dozen of these scattered around Dressrosa and four more in Greenbit, and we need to place a super large railgun at the highest point on Dressrosa."

I then turned my attention toward my brother. "And Doffy, under no circumstances should the secrets of this weapon leak to the outside world. As long as we have a monopoly on the railgun, the world government will not pester us. But once they catch a whiff of a super-powerful weapon, they will come knocking and try to get the designs by hook or crook."

Doffy simply nodded, his expression serious. He understood the importance of this directive. He had been fooled once, and he was not going to be fooled a second time. "Fufufu, don't worry, little brother. I'll ensure that the railgun's secrets remain just that—secrets."

As I looked around, I saw the family members bustling with activity, preparing for the next steps. The atmosphere was a blend of excitement and caution. The railgun's successful test had injected a sense of invincibility into our ranks, but it also came with the heavy responsibility of safeguarding this newfound power.

Wolf approached, wiping his hands on a cloth, with a look of satisfaction on his face. "The prototype performed better than expected. With some tweaks, we can improve its efficiency and reduce its energy consumption."

"Excellent work, Wolf san," I replied, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's focus on streamlining the production process. We need these deployed across all key points in Dressrosa as soon as possible."

As Wolf nodded and walked off to oversee the next phase, I turned back to Doffy. "We should also think about implementing a layered defense system. The railgun is our trump card, but we can't rely solely on it. Fortify our conventional defenses and ensure our men are well-trained and equipped."

Doffy grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Consider it done. We'll make Dressrosa the most fortified island in the New World."

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